Definition of meticulous
:marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
- a meticulous researcher
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Examples of meticulous in a Sentence
- Always meticulous about his appearance in the past, he had become dirty and unkempt, with straggly hair, stained clothes, and patches of silver stubble on his chin. —Minette Walters, Fox Evil, 2002
- She was very much the craftswoman, all her work meticulous, slow, perfect. —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998
- In dense, meticulous arguments … Brooten mounts an assault on that view. —Cullen Murphy, Atlantic, August 1993
He described the scene in meticulous detail.
He is meticulous about keeping accurate records.
Recent Examples of meticulous from the Web
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Bogie was meticulous about not being too personal, was known for never fooling around with women at work or anywhere else.
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This surreal nugget is from Mark Bowden’s magnificent and meticulous history, which tells, with excruciating detail, a story that is both inspiring and infuriating.
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According to Spanish publication Sport, the German goalkeeper is extremely tidy, arranging his kit and boots in a very meticulous manner, a sight rarely seen behind closed doors in the game.
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But, as Mr Campbell’s meticulous work makes plain, this was no typical colonial atrocity.
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Maloof, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2013 doc Finding Vivian Maier, is now the keeper of her legacy, overseeing the meticulous preservation and printing of the negatives, many thousands of which have yet to see the light of day.
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And in meticulous and ghastly detail Tuesday at the Criminal Justice Center, an associate medical examiner explained exactly what that meant.
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Boston’s deep cache of future picks would have kept that from being a ruinous turn of events, but being left without a new star or Fultz to show for his years of meticulous planning and flexibility would have made Ainge an easy punching bag.
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Sumptuous fabrics, movie-star-chic designs, and meticulous detailing – visitors can lean in close enough to see the stitches.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meticulous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
meticulous Has Fearful Roots
It may surprise you to learn that meticulous is derived from the Latin word for "fearful" - meticulosus - and ultimately comes from the Latin noun metus, meaning "fear." Although meticulous currently has no "fearful" meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of frightened and timid. This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 19th century meticulous acquired a new sense of "overly and timidly careful" (probably influenced by the French word méticuleux). This in turn led to the current meaning of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial among some usage commentators at first, but it has since become by far the most common meaning and is no longer considered an error.
Origin and Etymology of meticulous
Latin meticulosus fearful, irregular from metus fear
meticulous Synonyms
Synonyms
careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, painstaking, scrupulousAntonyms
carelessRelated Words
assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous; exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing; alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful; accurate, exact, precise, strict; critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular; cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary; deliberate, plodding, slow; studied, thoughtful; all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealousNear Antonyms
cursory, halfhearted; heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary; lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly; imprecise; inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating; bold, impetuous, rash, reckless; apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyishSynonym Discussion of meticulous
careful, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious mean showing close attention to detail. careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.
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- a careful worker
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- meticulous scholarship
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- scrupulous honesty
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- punctilious observance of ritual
METICULOUS Defined for English Language Learners
meticulous
play
adjective
Definition of meticulous for English Language Learners
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: very careful about doing something in an extremely accurate and exact way
METICULOUS Defined for Kids
meticulous
play
adjective
me·tic·u·lous
\
mə-ˈtik-yə-ləs
\
Definition of meticulous for Students
:showing extreme or excessive care in thinking about or dealing with small details
- a meticulous description
Learn More about meticulous
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See words that rhyme with meticulous Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for meticulous Spanish Central: Translation of meticulous Nglish: Translation of meticulous for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of meticulous for Arabic speakers
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